Today marks the first week of my 28th year and for some reasons, I woke up feeling grateful! Don't get me wrong, I say my thanks to God the moment I open my eyes every day but this morning was different. I feel extra grateful! Maybe it's because of the recent birthday celebration or the new work I am in or the new shoes I will be buying this afternoon. I have so many things to be thankful for but it will bore you if I will write everything down here so I'll just share with you one. Yeah, just one and it is the Glamourbox I received the day after my birthday.

So as the letter say, the Glamourbox April 2014 has beauty basics for hair and skin to restore it in its Perfectly Pristine state. For Php595.00, this box has 8 main products, a mixture of full-sized and deluxe samples, with 3 add-ons. Is that a great deal or what?

The box is filled to the brim! Let's go into each of the products, shall we?

You get all those products for only Php595.00! I didn't bother to compute if its worth it because the answer is obvious. I am pretty sure that all lucky ones who got the chance to have this Perfectly Pristine box is super happy with its contents! Who wouldn't, anyway?

Glamourbox is an online beauty subscription service that creates an exciting way for Filipinas to access and discover the latest trends in beauty from around the globe. For a fee of P595, our subscribers receive a curated box with at least five deluxe beauty samples from premium and niche brands delivered to their doorstep. This is a new way for beauty enthusiasts to discover products and share their beauty finds with their network. If they love the products they sampled, they can purchase the full size in the brand's brick-and-mortar or at Glamourbox's online boutique.

Too late to get the Perfectly Pristine box? Fret not, the next month's box will be equally awesome for sure! If I were you, I'll subscribe to every month's box to discover new beauty products and get tons of coupons and certificates!

Are you subscribed toa beauty box? What are your thoughts on it? :)

♥ Jes ♥

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There are times you just have to leave the old you and embrace positive changes. It might be difficult at first but it is and will always be for the better. A day after I got a year older, I welcomed a major change into my life. It took me months to decide on taking the risk and I cannot be more glad that I did. It might be too early to say, but I like the ground where I am on. Big words, I know, and I know you don't understand me now. The only point here is that, change is inevitable and that, at some point in our lives, we have to open our arms to fully accept it. Changes happen for a reason.

Oh boy, turning 28 did something on my thinking! I should shake it off now and get down to business!

Since we are already talking about changes, one of the change that noticeably happened to me was my recent inclination to nude pink lipsticks. For the past weeks, I reached out for my nudes more often than I normally do. One of the nudes I am loving lately is The Face Shop Black Label Lipstick in 11 Lovely Pink.

If you know me, then you know that nudes shades are so not my thing.
Well, I would wear them when I am sporting a hard smokey eye but my
heart beats for bold pinks and reds. But again, for some reasons, I was so into nudes these past weeks.

I cannot find its product description in the web. It doesn't come in box
either. I am not even sure if this particular lipstick is still
available for purchase because I can no longer see it in The Face Shop's
website. Sigh. The only thing I can say about this lipstick is that I got it from A Style Me Pretty.

I LIKE that it ...

applies smoothly on the lips.

gives a nice color in one swipe.

is creamy.

lasts for a decent amount of time, about 2-3 hours.

doesn't dry my lips.

is moisturizing, even without a balm underneath it.

doesn't accentuate the dry patches on my lips.

doesn't settle on the lines of my lips.

is housed in a sleek tube.

is affordable.

I DON'T LIKE that it ...

I can't think of any!

Will I repurchase?
Yes!

The name Lovely Pink suits it very well. It is too light for my usual taste but surprisingly, I like it. It is the perfect lipstick for brides, isn't it?

Again, I don't know if this is still available in The Face Shop outlets. Sorry. But for sure, The Face Shop has something similar to this shade. Or, you can check out other brands too!

I like it so much that I am already thinking of keeping it for my wedding. Since I am not getting married anytime soon, I will just use it until its last hint of color. :)

♥ Jes ♥

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If I am to choose in between lipsticks and lip glosses, I would choose the former without hesitations. Color payoff and staying power would be the top criteria why I prefer lipsticks over lip glosses. Don't get me wrong though, I have a few lip glosses in my collection but those are mainly to amp up the look of my lips a bit. I would never use a lip gloss on its own until I met L'Oreal Shine Caresse.

A fresh and sensual shine, Shine Caresse redefines gloss to make it more natural and modern with its wet lips effect. A new generation of makeup which offers a double effect: lips that infuses with color enhanced by gloss that makes your lips pops.

Shine Caresse has the glide and the wet/shiny finish of a usual lip gloss. What sets it apart is its pigmentation and lasting hold. It even leaves a natural-looking stain when the gloss wears off.

The ultra-light fluid of Shine Caresse allows it to melt onto the lips for a long lasting moist-look effect combined with utmost comfort and freshness.

The secret lies in itsexceptionally high concentration of moisture, thanks to a unique formula of 30% water and 60% oil so you get: 1. a soft, moist-look effect, 2. light and bright shine, 3. long-lasting hold, and 4. a sensation of fresh moisturization.

There are 5 shades in the 2014 summer collection and I have 3 of them. Shine Caresse 609 (Cherie) is a dark magenta berry shades with hints of sparkles, Shine Caresse 806 (Iris) is nude coral shade and Shine Caresse 703 (Ruby) is a nice cherry red.

Cherie | Iris | Ruby

I LIKE that it ...

glides on smoothly on the lips.

has a good pigmentation.

doesn't feel sticky on the lips.

is moisturizing on the lips.

leaves a natural-looking stain when it wears off.

is very long-lasting for a gloss. It stays for about 5-6 hours on my lips!

is housed in an elegant, silver tube. The window on the packaging makes it easy to see the color of the gloss.

has a feather-shaped applicator that makes application easy.

is available locally, in all L'Oreal counters, for an affordable price of Php595.00.

I DON'T LIKE that it ...

smells and tastes like cologne/soap. I, honestly, don't know how to describe it but it has this strong scent that can be bothering at times.

clings to the dry parts of my lips, accentuating it even more.

Will I repurchase?
Yes.

I know, Shine Caresse looks blotchy on my lips. My lips are super dry, that's why. Noticed how the formula clings to the dry/wounded part of my lips? I realized that exfoliating the lips prior to application of Shine Caresse helps in avoiding that to happen.

Top to bottom: Cherie | Ruby | Iris

When L'Oreal said that Shine Caresse has a long-lasting hold, they are not kidding. It does stay for hours! This was how the swatches on my arm looked like after I rubbed it and tried to erased it with water.

Iris looks too nude on me. I like using it on top of a nude lip liner to achieve the finish like the one below.

Cherie is my favorite shade. I love how vibrant it looks on me.

For a quick pick-me-up shade, I go with Ruby. Forgive how dull I looked in the photo below and oh, the dry patches on my lips.

If you are a fan of lip glosses, L'Oreal Shine Caresse is a must-try. Its groundbreaking formula sets it apart from other lip glosses! It stays on for hours and makes the lips look and feel moisturized.

Are you a fan of lip gloss? What's your favorite?

Does a lip gloss week sound good? I have a handful of unopened and unused lip glosses in my collection which need some loving. :)

♥ Jes ♥

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My birthday is exactly a week from now and I still don't have any concrete plans on what to do on that day. Actually, I initially wanted a simple and quiet celebration -- shop, visit a spa for a massage and dine out with my family. But at 28 and with so many things to be thankful for, I think I need to have something bigger. No, I am not throwing a huge party for I don't have a budget for it but I will put a little twist on my initial plans. Of course, I will still go with shopping and visiting a spa. I'll put the kick on where to celebrate with my family. I already have a few options in mind and Movie Stars Cafe is included in the list.

Movie Stars Cafe is located in Seaside Blvd., SM Mall of Asia. Though Pasay is as far as Timbuktu from where I live, I had to pay the restaurant a visit. The words of a friend saying, "Movie Stars cafe offers something different. You have to try it!" caught me.

Looking at the restaurant, from the facade down to the interiors, it really screams difference. From the name itself, Movie Stars Cafe is influenced by all-time famous movies and movie stars.

At the entrance, you will be welcomed by Jack and Sally of Nightmare Before Christmas and who I think is King Kong.

My friend, Philip, couldn't stop himself from saying hi to Sally.

King Kong deserved a kiss for being harmless that day!

The inside of the restaurant is dim compared to others. Well, they have their reasons. Have you seen a well-lit movie house? Don't worry, it is not too dark. It is lit enough for you to see the people you are with, the food you are eating and the things around you.

I must admit, I am not a huge fan of movies. I prefer reading than watching movies. But though I wasn't able to watch about 80% of the movies featured in Movie Stars Cafe, I appreciate them for being part of the beauty and uniqueness of the restaurant. The interior of Movie Stars Cafe showcases props and posters of different movies.

The place is surrounded with a number of monitors playing movies. To make the ambiance perfect for the theme, there is a stage in the middle where the performance is held and special lighting that encapsulates what it feels to be in the movies.

What makes Movie Stars Cafe even more unique is that the waiters and waitresses are dressed like characters in movies. It is like dining while being surrounded by your favorite movie characters! Every 30 minutes, there is a presentation so expect the characters to sing, dance and come to life. Here were some of the characters present when we were there. Can you name them?

All Star Cast

Lion King, the Musical.

This elephant is huge!

Spiderman, the Musical.

Applause to the props and the performances, they make the dining experience different. Honestly, we had to stay for more hours after eating because we wanted to watch the performances. Good thing, they didn't disappoint.

So with the food, Movie Stars Cafe has wide variety of dishes inspired by by topnotch films. Since the men I was with wanted to taste a bit of everything, they went with the buffet and I ordered a pizza.

Dino Buffet unleashes the culinary creativity of the guests as you get to make your own burgers and sausages. It also has a great selection of food choices, from appetizers to deserts and from pasta to pork knuckles. As per Chef Albert, they change the food selections everyday to not bore the regular customers.

On our visit, we had these on the table:

Beef Sirloin | Pork Knuckles (the bomb!) | Roasted Chicken

Egg Fried Rice

Chicken Blue Cheese Pasta | Lasagna

Garden Salad

Vegetable Gratin

Pork Cordon Bleu (must try!) | Potato Wedges | Fish Fillet

Beef Patty | Chicken Karaage

Sausage

Of course, we had to give the make-your-own burger a try. It was so hard to put everything you want in between two buns so imagine how my burger was overflowing with fillings!

It looked blah but it was surprisingly yummy! Philip had a brilliant technique on how to make your own burger, with everything you want in it, that is worth sharing.

Yeah, he made room for the fillings in the bun by pressing the it! Amazing!

Let's admit it, for the price of Php699.00 per head, the Dino Buffet is pricey. I know restaurants who offer wider selections in different cuisines in the same price range or just a couple of hundreds more expensive. But with the experience, the price is okay. Can you name a restaurant that has famous movie characters serving you with all smiles? Only Movie Stars Cafe has that concept, if I am not mistaken.

So is Movie Stars Cafe worth visiting? Definitely! Especially if you are a huge fan of movies. But don't expect it to be cozy because the music is loud and there are lots of things happening around. Are you planning to bring your kids? Perfect, they will sure enjoy it! It would be a rare chance for them to interact with their favorite movie characters.

But wait there's more, if you (or anyone you know) are planning to visit Movie Stars Cafe, let me give you a treat! (Coz it's my birthday!) If you use my coupon code, you will be getting 10% OFF your total bill!

Just give the code when you ask for your bill and 10% of the bill will automatically be slashed off! You can give away the code to your friends and relatives so they can avail of the discount too!

♥ Jes ♥

Jes Roque

Educator ǀ Beauty Blogger ǀ Filipina

An educator by profession and a beauty enthusiast by choice, Jes shares her thoughts on beauty and all the love in between through MakeUpLove. Hop in and get a dose of reviews, tutorials, features, expressions, and love.

Contact

Email me at jes@jesroque.com or e_jes1105@yahoo.com for inquiries, product reviews, events, product launches, collaborations, sponsorship or just anything you want us to discuss.